The recent buzz around self-hosted alternatives to Google services has got me thinking about my own digital autonomy journey. Don’t get me wrong - this isn’t about bashing Google. Their services are polished and convenient, but there’s something deeply satisfying about taking control of your digital life.

My home server, humming away in the study, has become quite the Swiss Army knife of services. The star of the show lately has been Immich, a remarkably capable alternative to Google Photos. What started as a curious experiment has turned into my primary photo management solution. The face recognition feature works surprisingly well, even on my modest hardware, and the ability to share libraries between family members is brilliant.